Homemade Mayonnaise

Once you've made your own mayonnaise, you'll do it every time after that. The taste and texture are far superior to anything you can buy, and you can customise it however you want. Once you've got the basic method down, try adding lemon or garlic for something to accompany seafood, or paprika for spicy dishes.

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Ingredients

2 egg yolks

1tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp lemon juice

Pinch of salt

50 ml (1½ fl oz) olive oil

200 ml (6½ fl oz) vegetable oil

Salt and ground black pepper

Method

To mix by hand

Place the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl and whisk (using a balloon whisk or electric hand-held whisk) until frothy and combined.

Combine the olive oil and vegetable oil in a jug. Pour it very slowly, drop by drop, into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.

As the mixture thickens, start adding the oil in a steady stream. Continue until all the oil has been incorporated and the mixture is thick.

Season with salt and black pepper.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge - it will keep for about seven days.

To mix in a blender

Replace one of the egg yolks with a whole egg. Place the whole egg and egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice and a pinch of salt into a blender. Blend for a few seconds to combine.

With the blender on low, pour the combined oils in a very thin stream into the egg mixture. If the lid has a smaller removable hole, pour the oil through this. If not, keep the lid on and lift its corner to add the oil.

As the mixture thickens, start adding the oil in a steady stream. You may have to stop and start the blender to stir the mayonnaise as it thickens. With the machine running, continue to pour in the oil. Stop pouring when the oil is incorporated and the mayonnaise is thick and glossy.

Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add more lemon juice if required.

Tips

Stand the mixing bowl on a folded, damp tea towel while you're making mayonnaise. This prevents the bowl from moving as you whisk.

Use a tasteless vegetable oil like sunflower or groundnut oil with just a small amount of olive oil added. By blending a peppery olive oil with a blander vegetable oil, you get a lovely rounded flavour.

The mixture may separate if oil has been added too quickly. To remedy this, simply whisk up another egg yolk and gradually whisk it through the separated mixture in small amounts.

To make tartare sauce (perfect with fish), stir in 1 tbsp each of capers and chopped gherkins, plus 2 tbsp of chopped parsley and 1 tbsp chopped tarragon (optional, but good) to 200ml (6½ fl oz) mayonnaise. Season to taste.